Uniqueness Of Papua - Asmat the Tribe of God

In ancient times, a god named Fumeripitsy descended to earth. He roamed the earth and began his adventure from the western horizon of the sunset. In his adventure, the God must confront a giant crocodile and defeat him. even though he won, the god was seriously injured and stranded on a river bank.

With pain the God tried to survive until finally he met a noble hearted Flaminggo bird and cared for the God to recover from his wound. after he recovered, the God lived in the area and made a house and carved two very beautiful sculptures. He also made a very loud drum that sounded to accompany him to dance without stopping. the deity's movements were so powerful that they made the two sculptures carved into life. Shortly afterwards, the two statues also danced and moved to follow the God. The two statues are the first human partners to become the ancestors of the Asmat tribe.

The fragment of the mythology above is a belief held by the Asmat, one of the largest tribes in Papua. This myth makes the Asmat tribe still believe that they are the incarnation of God until now. it is not excessive, because Asmat does have a highly respected culture. In fact, this tribe has been known to foreign countries, so it is no stranger if there are researchers from all over the world often visit the Asmat tribe. they are generally interested in learning about the lives of the Asmat people, their belief systems, and the unique customs of the Asmat people.

The Asmat tribe is actually divided into two, namely the tribe that lives on the coast and the Asmat tribe who live in the interior. lifestyle, way of thinking, social structure and daily life of the two Asmat categories are very different. for example, in terms of their livelihoods, for example, the Asmat tribe, who are in rural areas, usually have jobs as garden hunters and farmers, while those who live on the coast prefer to become fishermen as livelihoods. the difference between the two populations is also due to the condition of the area in which they live and the magnitude of the influence of immigrants who are generally more open than the Asmat culture itself.

Although these two populations have many differences, they both share the same characteristics. for example, in terms of physical characteristics. The Asmat have an average height of about 172 cm for men and 162 cm for women. Their skin is generally black with curly hair. This physical characteristic is due to the Asmat tribe being still a descendant of Polynesian citizens.

The distribution area of ​​the Asmat tribe starts from the coast of the arafuru sea to the Jayawijaya mountains. Overall they occupy the Asmat district which has approximately 7 sub-districts. although it seems close, but the distance between the villages and villages with the township district is very far, even the trip can take 1 to 2 days on foot. this they did not because they could not enter vehicles into Asmat, but the swampy Asmat region could only be passed by boat or on foot.

The Asmat are very famous for their traditions and art. they are known as reliable and internationally recognized engravers. Asmat carvings are of many types and diverse. However, usually the carvings produced tell about something, such as the story of ancestors, daily life and their love for nature. the uniqueness of the carving is what makes the name of the Asmat tribe so global today.

In addition to art, one of the most interesting traditions to look at is the Bujang house or commonly known as Jew. this house is an important part that is inseparable from the life of the Asmat tribe. Jew became the main house where all the Asmat tribes in each village began. So important, that in setting up Jew there is a special ceremony that must be done. jew, only lived by unmarried men. Occasionally women may enter but must be in a large meeting situation.

The Asmat have many dances and songs. they performed dances along with this song when welcoming guests, harvest times, and paying homage to the spirits of the ancestors. They are very respectful of their ancestors, this can be seen from every tradition they have. although now modern culture has a lot of influence on their lives, the Asmat tradition and customs will be difficult to eliminate. The Asmat tribe has an extraordinary and worthy culture to be the main object that should be studied further when visiting Papua.